The Why Behind World Book Day
World book day is fast approaching, with the 4th March 2021 just around the corner. I know there is that part of me that thinks, how absolutely crazy, March already where has 2021 gone so far. However, I also think lockdown, covid-19 and changes over the last year now more then ever is the time to question why? Why do we do the activities that we do or celebrate the days that we do?
In recent years I have watched world book day evolve and change more and more, did you know that world book day has been around since 1995? That is 26 years of celebrating books, but each year on year I feel the financial pressure for parents to invest in costumes, dressing up as your favourite book character. With supermarkets lined with costumes and a burden of another non-uniform dress-up day, donations accepted – don’t forget your pounds!
I remember as a child at primary school joining in world book day, the pressure for my mum as we were on a tight budget with 3 children, that meant she needed to find or make 3 costumes no pressure! I was also the easiest child ever whose favourite book was the BFG and for about 3 years in a row I went in a (borrowed) summer dress that was yellow instead of the normal blue school colour and pig tails in my hair and was Sophie. But I see the pressure year on year on parents to buy costumes, or get creative and make you own costume – but why? Why are we asking parents to do this? Are we loosing the meaning of world book day?
So, what is the real reason behind world book day? Why do we celebrate world book day on the 4th March 2021? World book day begun in 1995 and was created by UNESCO to celebrate authors, books and to encourage young people to read and enjoy books. To celebrate those unique books, authors and to create opportunities for everyone to enjoy books.
In the UK world book day is one of the National Literacy Trusts biggest events of the year. Where we give away over 15 million £1 book tokens, that is nearly one for every child and young person under the age of 18 years old. Why? Because we want to make books available for everyone, we want access to books to be enjoyed by all, not matter your background or social economic status. All children have the right to read and share books with their families and friends. Yet in recent years for some places world book day has become a paid school uniform day, which to me kind of takes away the point and value of the vouchers altogether!
Even more so did you know that 16% of adults in the UK according to the National Literacy Trust are considered to be functioning illiterate. This is a shockingly high number of adults, imagine now if we could change this and we have the power to create change as a society. So why not start with this at world book day – rather then thinking about dressing up as our favourite character. Let’s focus on supporting children’s literacy skills to make a difference for the future generation.
Let’s invest in their literacy skills, create a love for stories opportunity to share books, as the world as reinventing around us due to Covid-19, we actually have an amazing opportunity right now to reinvent and refocus what world book day means to us, means to our setting. Whether that is through distance learning, in the classroom a mixture of both, or the commitment to putting children’s literacy first that is renewed this world book day. The opportunity to begin some initiatives that are going to make a difference to all families lives that we interact with.
Here are a few ways we can recommit to world book day and thinking of how we are making a difference to children and families lives this year:
1. Set up a lending library or a book swap scheme.
2. Share stories and story sacks with the children in person or online.
3. Make a setting world book day book, with stories from the children.
4. Make sure you have leaflets, resources and information for parents about literacy courses or support in your area.
5. Act out your favourite stories with the children – the 3 billy goats gruff or Goldilocks. Unleash the story tellers within.
Mostly though, let us put the sharing of books, the celebrations of authors and illustrators become the centre of our world book day again this year. Now is the time to refocus and reinvent and consider what we do and why we are doing it!
By Pauline Milsted
Director of Growing Together